


Your Boss, Your Friend (Your Worst Nightmare)

by Sandra_Taylor



Series: Squad Goals [2]
Category: Jurassic World (2015)
Genre: Age Difference, Claire's PoV, M/M, POV Outsider
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-15
Updated: 2018-03-15
Packaged: 2019-03-31 21:27:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,040
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13983657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sandra_Taylor/pseuds/Sandra_Taylor
Summary: Monday mornings Claire makes sure to get breakfast with her favorite nephew. Only this time, said nephew has something to tell her.The "Claire finds out" fic several of you asked for and I couldn't help myself but write





	Your Boss, Your Friend (Your Worst Nightmare)

Claire’s aware that her relationship with her nephews didn’t start all that well. Honestly, it was partly her fault. She had no interest in spending her time with them back then and the whole situation with I-Rex only made it worse.

But then she actually got to know them. More Zach than Gray, but that’s mostly because she doesn’t really understand Gray’s ramblings and Zach’s interests shaped up to be close to hers. Or close enough, at least.

That’s why she had Zara clear up her Monday mornings so she can have enough time with her nephew. It proved to be a good thing throughout the whole holidays. Not that she was able to spend the whole mornings with Zach, but she didn’t have to rush their breakfast and then had the time to go through her schedule and mentally prepare herself for it. It took only about two weeks for her to realize that she’s less stressed than she remembers being ever since taking that job.

She even got used to eating at the hotel where they meet up for the breakfast. Not the ridiculously heavy food Zach usually gets, but it’s easy to get a light breakfast when you’re technically the boss of everything. The coffee they serve makes everything better.

When they bring her both the coffee and the yoghurt with muesli and fruit she frowns a little and looks around. Zach is usually here by now. What could have held him back?

She doesn’t rush her breakfast, but she’s halfway through the yoghurt when Zach rushes in. His hair is still wet and his clothes are rumbled, his shirt only halfway tucked in his trousers.

“Sorry, I’m late, I’m sorry. Hi, aunt Claire.”

He smiles at her, all sunshine and rainbow, when he sits down. She just raises her eyebrow at him, but she’s smiling, amused.

“Do you still have time for proper breakfast?”

“Yeah,” Zach replies, looking at his phone. “I’m in contact with Lucy and Sarah, they know that I’m running late and are okay with it. We’ll talk about how I’ll make it up to them. Sorry,” he adds a little awkwardly. “I thought I had enough time, but... never mind. How are you?”

She notices his nervous fidgeting but doesn’t comment on it just yet. Instead she indulges him and talks about how unusually quiet her weekend was, how Lowery is driving her wild with his requests for everything and anything he finds online and how Zara is sending her gifs of cats for some reason. She doesn’t add that most of them are reminding both of them of the raptor’s pack, their daring leader included. And recently also some kitten gifs representing Zach.

Soon enough Zach has a plate full of eggs in front of him with a big latte and he wolfs it all down in record time. Claire just smiles and orders some lemonade.

“Aren’t you hungry.” She knows he’s a growing boy (is he, though? Doesn’t that stop at like... 18?) and all, but she doesn’t remember him ever eating like that. “You rushing to work?”

“Not... really.” He takes a sip of his coffee and pushes the clean plate away from him. “There’s something I need to talk to you about.”

He refuses to meet her eyes and Claire frowns when she sees that. Zach didn’t really pay attention to her at the beginning of their new found relationship, but once they got closer he always looked straight to her eyes. That’s one of the reasons why she’s trying to make someone of him. She’s sure that he can be the head of the PR department before thirty if he’ll continue with half as determination as he’s been showing now.

“Of course. Something with the team? You know you can tell me anything.”

“No! No, the team works great. Perfect, really. The girls are great. They don’t really need me for anything, so the only time I’m an actual boss is when it comes to Zigotskij.”

Claire tries really hard not to make a face at that. The man is proving to be more problems than he’s worth. Zach was right two years ago – their marketing team was terrible. Zigotskij is an old-fashioned guy who knows how to work newspaper and even television news to some point, but he’s lost at social sites. And ever since she started paying more attention to them he started making problems.

She would fire him at once if she wasn’t working on reshaping the PR and marketing. And maybe, possibly, saving that place for Zach. She has no illusions, he won’t be fit to take the position for some years yet, but she’s thinking long term future.

“Alright. So what do you want to talk about?”

Zach makes a face at that and seems to think for a while, before he takes a deep breath and finally looks Claire in the eyes.

“I’m dating Owen. We got together yesterday. Well, Saturday, but yesterday was both our days off, so... you are literally the first person I’m telling this.”

He looks a little nervous, but mostly excited.

Still, Claire freezes and just thinks.

Owen is... her relationship with Owen... it’s complicated. She knows that he’s a good guy. But at the same time he’s stubborn and wild and immature and so damn frustrating. Not to say that he’s thirty five! Zach is just a kid next to him. Not to say that their relationship was... a disaster. The sex was good (and god, just thinking about Owen and Zach and sex makes her feel all gross), but other than that everything was terrible. The arguments were vicious and Owen never was one to shy away from screaming and if he just thinks he can use that tactic on her nephew...

She blinks a few times and tries to ignore the storm happening in her head, instead focusing on Zach.

“There are forms that the two of you will have to fill in. I know you’re only an intern, but if you want a future in here, it’s best to be on the right side of the forms at all times rather than trying to keep a secret.”

Zach blinks a little, surprised.

“Ugh, right, sure. That’s... yeah, we should do that.” Then he frowns a little, turning his focused eyes on her. “That’s all you’re going to say to that?”

She sighs a little and folds her hands on the table, thinking carefully about what she wants to say to him.

“I’m not happy about this, Zach. Owen is too old for you and I have my reservation about his character.” Suddenly something occurs to her. “You said you spent yesterday together. Did you spend the night with him at his... bungalow?”

Zach huffs, but it’s amused and he’s smiling after that.

“Yes, but nothing happened. I swear. Owen wants to take it slow.”

He says the last sentence too casually for it to be truly casual. Claire knows what he’s trying to do and she’s not moved even a little bit, but she will let him think it works on her.

“That’s not going to happen again. If I have to chip your phone to have your location all the time I will do it. You’re not staying over anymore.”

Zach’s smile slips from his face and he just stares at her.

“Are you serious? Come on, aunt Claire! The lake is great for swimming out there and Owen does the best steaks at his grill.”

“Fine,” she relents with a small smile. “No staying there after 8PM.”

“Aunt Claire! Not even mum makes that strict rules.”

“Fine. 10PM. And speaking about your mum, you’re the one telling her about this. If possible before I have to see her.”

“That’s fair,” Zach murmurs, then smiles at her, just a little, unsure thing. “So... you’re fine with this?”

Not really, not nearly.

“As long as it’s your decision. So, you said you got together Saturday, right? Wasn’t Owen supposed to be on a hunt?”

Zach has a nervous smile on his face all of a sudden and Claire frowns.

“Zach?”

“I... might have been there... on the hunt... with them?” Claire tries to school her face, but she’s not quick enough, because Zach winces a little. “Nothing happened to me, everything was fine, I was with Owen the whole time. Everything was fine.”

Claire’s still fuming, but instead of saying anything she takes another sip of her lemonade.

She can’t just... forbid Zach of going on hunts or seeing Owen. Doesn’t matter how much she wants to. Zach would just get even more stubborn and would stop listening to her entirely. And that’s the opposite of what she wants.

Doesn’t mean that she can’t grill Owen about it, though.

And there goes her free morning.

***

She stops by in her office before taking a jeep and going up, to the raptors arena. It’s late enough that the morning show is long over, but early enough that the afternoon one is still far away. Or at least enough that they should have time to talk.

She gets into the arena easily enough and stops the first person that she runs into.

“Where’s Grady?”

Maybe she does sound a little more aggressive than she intended. On the other hand Carl has no way of knowing that she hasn’t called Owen that in years, so he probably doesn’t notice that.

“His office I think?” Carl frowns a little, thinking. “Everyone’s doing their paperwork, so who knows what Owen’s doing.”

Claire nods and rushes into Owen’s office. Technically, he’s something close to the head of the raptors’ department so he should have a big office. He used to have the biggest office in the old paddock, but he never really cared about being the head of anything and he hated paperwork almost as much as Claire hated reading his paperwork. So now he’s demoted to someone who doesn’t have to even look at paperwork and thanks to that has only a small room where he can be in between shows but doesn’t really have to do anything.

She doesn’t bother with knocking. When she comes in, Owen is sitting in his chair, with his legs up on the table right next to the small tv set he has there and a phone in his hand. When he sees her he quickly puts it in his pocket, puts the legs down and straightens in his chair, looking resigned.

“Took you longer than I expected. I’d offer you coffee, but we’d have to go to the communal room for that and I think we both want to avoid that.”

Claire frowns when she sees how calm he is, seemingly ready for this. At least now, that she hasn’t started yet.

She gives him the paperwork she picked up in her office.

“I expect this to be filled in till the end of the week. Work week. You’re supposed to fill it together, so please, let Zach handle it. I also expect you two to be professional around your other coworkers.”

Owen simply takes the papers and puts them on the table.

“That’s all you’re gonna say?”

It’s almost the same thing Zach told her when she told him about the paperwork and it makes her twitchy.

“As your boss? Yes. Now,” she makes a step closer to him, eyes locked to his and chin out. “What are your intentions with my barely legal nephew, Owen Grady?”

“I was thinking Italian food and a Jackie Chan movie today, maybe Thai and Star Wars tomorrow.”

He’s cocky and self-assured and God, Claire could slap him right now.

“Stop joking around, Owen, this isn’t a laughing matter. Zach is only nineteen.”

“Which is a year older than is the legal age. Besides, he’s an adult, he can make his own decisions.”

“Right, his own decisions. If it’s his own decision.”

Owen’s face that was stupidly smile-y until now falls and Claire’s almost surprised at the stormy expression on Owen’s face.

“What are you implying, Dearing?”

His voice is quiet and low and Claire shivers a little. He’s radiating fury in a way she’s never seen before. But she refuses to back down.

“I’m not implying anything. I’m saying that if you pressure him into anything...”

“What?”

“Your girls might not eat you, but others will not be as merciful. I was thinking about the Mosasaur, but that would probably be too quick. Roberta would probably have much more fun with you.”

Owen looks almost amused and that just angers Claire more.

“You think I wouldn’t do that?”

“I know you would. But it’s not like that, Claire, I swear.”

He looks earnest and Claire wants to believe him. She does believe him. He might have a temper and be... uncivilized is the word that comes to mind. But he’s not one to pressure anyone into anything. And yet...

“What do you think is gonna happen?” She’s losing her temper, her voice growing loud, but she can’t help it. She’s trying to take this rationally, she really is, but it’s hard. “In four weeks his younger brother is coming to the island and in another two he’s leaving for another ten months at least. What do you think is gonna happen after that?”

“I have no idea!” Owen is shouting right back at her and finally, something familiar. “Look, it’s possible that it’s not gonna last even that long. But it’s also possible that we’ll stay together.”

“And what, do the whole long distance thing?” Snorting might not be the best reaction she could have to it, but she can’t help it. The idea of Owen in long distance relationship is just... ridiculous.

“Maybe. Possibly. Would it be so terrible?”

“He’s nineteen! He’s in college! He’s supposed to be focused on that, maybe have some fun with other people, not a boyfriend a thousand miles away.”

“That’s his thing to decide, not yours or mine. If he doesn’t want that, we can talk about it and find some other way.”

He’s being more mature about this than he ever was during their relationship and that’s driving Claire crazy. She presses her lips close together, takes the folder she brought in the paperwork in her hands and punches him with it. Owen scowls and takes the folder from her hands.

“Hey!”

“He’s my nephew, Owen! What, you think just because I broke up with you, you can go find a substitute in my nephew?!”

“Sub... What the fuck, Claire?! First, the break up was mutual. Second – what’s wrong with you?! Zach is more than just your nephew. He looks nothing like you and even though he has your laser focus and workaholic tendencies, he’s much more than that.”

Claire still feels like punching him (repeatedly, into his dick if possible), but she guesses she needs to stop and listen to him if she ever wants to look Zach in the face again.

“Tell me more.”

Owen makes a face at that.

“Seriously? You wanna know about my relationship with your nephew?”

“No. Tell me more about how he’s different than me.”

Owen just stares at her and yes, she can see how bizarre that request is. But if she’s to give Owen his chance with Zach, she needs to hear that Owen sees Zach for himself, not for a mini version of her.

“Honestly, Claire? He might be the same workaholic you are...” He frowns and his eyes sway to the side, looking at something in distance. “And yeah, he has the same laser focus when he’s concentrating on something and is as passionate as you can be, but he’s... different about it. Your passion is with business and this park in general, to some extent. He applies the passion to everything he does. You’re almost always focused to a point that’s annoying, but when he uses it it’s a sight to behold. It’s easy for him to connect with people, while it’s almost always hard for you to do so. Is that all or should I continue in the biological differences between you two?”

She’s not quick enough to school her expression just then and Owen laughs at her. But he did ease her worries. Not all of them, but the most pressing ones.

She confesses she doesn’t really believe that this... affair will last the summer, let alone after that. But still, she’s worried. What if it doesn’t last and Zach’s devastated? What if it does last and it’s even worse? There’s just no good outcome of this in her opinion.

The age difference is another thing entirely and she’s not sure how she can handle that. Other than keeping an eye on Owen, of course. But she was gonna do that either way. Owen could have been Zach’s father, for Christ’s sake! Sure, he would have to have him really young, but still. She doesn’t like the natural imbalance it creates in a relationship.

Then there’s the fact that technically, they’re coworkers, and those kind of relationships are never easy. And Zach hardly had any time to get any experience in the relationship area, let alone one where he dated his coworker! 

And of course, there’s the fact that Zach is her nephew who she came to love in the last few years. No one is good enough for him, let alone Owen.

But she doesn’t have the words to express all of that, let alone to Owen himself. So she simply nods.

“Don’t think this is it, Grady. I’m not letting you out of my sight.”

“Stalker-y. Also, harassment. I’m pretty sure I could sue for this.”

She raises one unimpressed eyebrow at him, before turning around and leaving.

She’s still fuming inside, but it could have gone worse. Owen seems to actually care about Zach at least, so that’s good. But if he thinks she’ll leave them be he’s wrong. She won’t make it easier for them and might actually already plan on making it harder for them to see each other. See if it’ll be still worth for Owen even though the trouble it’ll take them to be together. She might even recruit Gray once he’s here...

**Author's Note:**

> To be honest, I'm not so sure about how this one came out. I wanted to show this one from Claire's POV, because she deserves a little bit more attention than I gave you last time around. Plus, inner monologue!  
> But I also wanted to show that her and Owen's relationship has entirely different dynamic than the one Owen has with Zach. Yet I wanted her to see that Owen is serious about Zach, that he's different with (about) him than he ever was with her...
> 
> So... how did I do with that? Do you hate it/love it? Just please, let me know


End file.
